


I'll Call You

by Alodis, emilycare



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-28 08:07:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11413719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alodis/pseuds/Alodis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilycare/pseuds/emilycare
Summary: "I'll call you if I need a bossy know-it-all." Wyatt could text, could email...but he needs to hear her voice. AU: Emma doesn't turn. Mason interrupts them before the hug in Episode 16 and Wyatt goes back to Pendleton. Wucy, fluff and hurt/comfort galore. Whump.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A collaborative twitfic by Alodis and emilycare. Written on twitter from on 17 June - 3 July 2017 in around 200 tweets. Thanks to Missy, Alyssa, Ann, Katie, Laura, Laura & Laura, Micheale, Crystal, Bex, Mae, Isabella, Miri, Timefandits, UnicornBottles, Disasterology Girl, Timeless_hypno and everyone for following along & cheerleading. Love our fandom! This is a fan story, we do not own these characters, story, etc.

**How it starts:** It's all #Wucy texts & vmails, as they slowly realize they can't live w/o each other. Amy (who gets rescued) makes fun of Lucy for moping around all the time when she's not in touch w/Wyatt. Amy is like, "You need this guy in your life as much as he needs you in his. What are you waiting for?"

L: [It will never work, our lives are too different.]

A: [So, that's why your fave part of yr day is totally not hearing abt his?]

L: [Like 2 know how things are turning up for him.]

A: [You 2 are practically making eyes at each other thru the phone.]

Lucy had started out texting to him, but Wyatt teased her so much about her endless multi-part messages that she finally gave in & started calling instead, which was his plan all along.

Hearing her voice made him miss her even more. How he wished he could tell her in person about his day, see her face light up as she smiled... His friends from Pendleton noticed the change, he didn't look haunted anymore. It seemed his feelings for Lucy were written on his face.

* * *

They sent Wyatt on a new, classified mission Couldn't tell her where, or even that he was going. But she knows him so well that she knew something was up. His long radio silence was expected, but still heart-stopping.

So when Lucy saw his name on her phone screen, she couldn't hide her relief. She took the call with a shaky hand & a soft "Hey reckless hothead" but it wasn't Wyatt's voice on the other side. Her heart stopped.

"Lucy, Wyatt's has been hurt."

She could feel the panic rising & the tears at the corner of her eyes. "How bad it is ? Where is he? I want to see him."

"It's serious, but he's stable now. He only wakes occasionally, and each time he's asked for you."

"Agent Christopher?!"

"Yes, this is Denise. Lucy, we can fly you to him, but we'll need to revisit your NDA and security clearance..."

Lucy closed her eyes in a silent prayer of thanks. "I'll call now to get someone to take over my classes...for how long?"

"I wouldn't give a defined date for now." "It shouldn't be a problem. I call you right back when it's done."

"I'll send a car to pick you up. Your security ID should be ready when you arrive."

There was a few seconds of silence then Denise added softly "Your soldier will be fine Lucy. With you at his bedside, I know he will."

Denise ended the call as Lucy was whispering "He has to." She blinked and frowned realizing what Denise actually said. They were that obvious?

* * *

Amy found Lucy packing her bags. "Hey, it's your turn to 'cook' tonight. Where did you want to order—hey! What's going on?"

Lucy looked up with tears glittering in her eyes. She threw her arms around her sister, holding her tight. "He needs me."

Amy stroked her older sister's dark hair. "About time!" Then with a look at Lucy's tear stained face, said. "This is serious, isn't it?"

Lucy sniffed, and nodded. "I can't tell you...anything really." Then she shot Amy a wide-eyed look. "How can I leave you again?"

"Oh no. If you don't go I'm putting your things in the street. You know you'll just be a wreck worrying. Just..."

"What?"

"If they get that contraption going again, make them let you call me..." Amy's voice got small.

Watching the sun sink down into the ocean from the plane, Lucy recalled her words to her sister "I lost you once, I won't let that happen again."

* * *

When she finally reached Wyatt's bedside, all she see could were the bruises, the bandages. But his chest rose & fell.

Doctor informed her he'll be asleep for a little while due to the pain medication they gave him earlier. Lucy nodded, her eyes not leaving Wyatt.

Then she was left alone, nothing but the beeping of machines indicating Wyatt's vitals. Tentatively she cupped his cheek... His skin warm to the touch made her sigh. Thinking,  _He'll be fine, I'll make sure of that. To hell with anyone trying to take me away from his side._

Agent Christopher found Lucy there, gripping Wyatt's hand and speaking softly. Unsure if her words were meant for Wyatt or a higher power, Denise lingered at the door. She finally said, "Lucy..."

Lucy, startled, spun toward the door. At the same time, she heard an echo from the bed. "Lu..Lucy..."

His blue eyes were fluttering. She felt light pressure on her fingers. "Shhh...shhh... It's all right, Wyatt. I'm here."

His eyes adjusted to the lightness of the room. The first thing he saw was Lucy's chocolate brown eyes filled with worry. "You...came.." He felt Lucy squeeze his hand. "Someone has to keep you in line during your recovery," she gently teased.

Her teasing brought a weak smile to his face. He'd missed her more than he could say. "Yes, ma'am."

Lucy's eyes teared up, but she looked aside, trying to hide them. She looked back with a mock-severe expression. "What have I told you."

He chuckled, which turned into a cough. Then blinked and tried to talk, motioned her closer. She leaned in to hear him. "Lucy, I wanted to tell you. I couldn't...had to talk to you again."

With her hand on his shoulder, feeling the pressure of Denise waiting, Lucy suddenly felt a rush of anger and protectiveness. To him she said, gently at first, "I know, I knew," then fiercely, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." She rounded on Denise, "I thought this was over!"

Denise stepped forward. "Lucy, we thought it was. This was just one last mission. We needed Wyatt because of his experience..."

Lucy stood, still holding Wyatt's hand. "So you sent him alone!?"

"No of course not, he commanded a full squad."

"But he didn't have his team. How could you send him against  **them**  without us?" Lucy felt a tug at her hand.

"It was my condition. I'd accept, if you didn't get involved." Wyatt revealed. The look of betrayal on her face hurt him more than any injury.

"I could have handled it. I wasn't there and look where it got you." Her tone was accusing. She expected better from him.

"Sometimes to protect the people we love we make what seem the wrong choices to them" He admitted, his eyes locked with hers. "I'm not sorry for wanting to spare you." The sincerity of his words hit her full force. "But not telling you wasn't the best move on our part."

"Clearly." She raised an eyebrow & he chuckled before wincing at the pain it caused in his body.

"Maybe I should leave the two of you alone for now." At the door, Denise turned to them. "There is still a job that needs doing but it will have to wait until you've healed, Master Sergeant, and I think we're going to need all the help we can get."

"From now on you're not doing this without me." Lucy stated with a stern voice. "And that's not up for discussion."

Denise nodded. "I'll see if we can bring Rufus & Jiya to help as well." Then she was gone & Lucy found herself torn between the want to slap Wyatt for thinking they could do this without her & how much she wished she could hold him tight for being alive.

She settled with saying, "Still reckless as ever hmm..."

"That's why you like me babydoll." He winked flashing his trademark smirk.

She couldn't stop the small smile from appearing on her face but her expression turned serious again. "Honestly Wyatt, I appreciate the thought of protecting me. But I've had enough secrets for a lifetime. I deserve more than that."

Laboriously, Wyatt put his IV laden hand on Lucy's. His face serious now, "That's exactly why I wanted you well out of this. You've had enough lies and heart-break for several lifetimes. Now that you have Amy back, I wanted you to finally be happy."

His smile came back, this time lazy, his eyes growing hazy with fatigue. "Luce, one of us needs to have a happy ending."

Lucy couldn't hide her tears this time. Wyatt, sliding into sleep, saw and got panicky. "Lucy, what..?"

"You ridiculous lug. Don't you get it yet? If there's a happy ending for me that doesn't have you in it, I don't want it."

He gave a weak smile. "Then I guess you're in luck. Can't seem to get rid of me." But his grip on her hand tightened. And she saw a different look in his tired eyes. She wiped away her tears and leaned close.

"We danced around those possibilities long enough don't you think ?" His voice was nothing more than a whisper.

Lucy's heart swelled. But she could see he was struggling to stay awake. "Sleep, Sweetheart. I'll be here when you wake up."

Wyatt let sleep claim him, Lucy's presence at his side a silent lullaby for his hopeful heart.

Brushing off his hair, she leaned down. Tenderly her lips made contact with his bruised forehead. The three words reflecting her feelings stuck in her throat, she took the seat by his bed, her hand never leaving his.

The silence around her, save for the beeping, pulled her deep into thought. Bad things happened to the team when they were separated.

* * *

Hours later, a change in the beeping made her frown. She called for someone quickly. "His heart rate is dropping..."

In moments, several scrub-clad bodies swirled around Lucy, checking readouts. She focused on Wyatt until one attempted to shunt her away. She looked up at the man with steel in her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."

Several minutes later, Agent Christopher entered the room, with Wyatt's Doctor in tow. "Lucy, it's okay. Let them do their jobs"

Lucy stood, but made no effort to leave. "Denise, if you think I'm leaving him alone again, you're dead wrong."

Wyatt muttered in his sleep as his fluids were replenished. Denise gave Lucy a compassionate look. "Please, just listen."

Lucy was unmoved. Denise said, "We don't have to go far. Let's talk in the hallway." Lucy glanced at Wyatt, he had settled again. She nodded.

In the hallway, Lucy saw them prepping a gurney. She turned to Dr Bridge who was on duty, "What is happening?"

"We're going to do tests to see if he has internal bleeding." Lucy blanched. "With injuries like these it can take days to develop."

Lucy looked to where they shifted Wyatt from bed to gurney. "I'm going to accompany him." Denise began to speak. Lucy cut in, "This is not negotiable."

Denise spoke urgently to Lucy as the Doctor examined Wyatt in prep for removal. "You helped him by catching this early, you've done enough."

"I promised him I would be there when he woke."

"Of course you can, you should get rest, too."

"No, you don't understand. We can't know that we've caught everyone from Rittenhouse. He's vulnerable and the only person I'm 100% certain he can trust is me. Where he goes, I go. I know he would do the same if it was me."

Lucy wouldn't back down, Denise knew as much. She recognized Lucy made a point, so in Wyatt's best interest she conceded, allowing Lucy to follow the gurney Wyatt was laid on out of the room.

* * *

The tests went long into the night. Lucy running on pure adrenaline at this point, grimly argued her way into several examination rooms.

Denise shifted from badgering and arguing to patient waiting after she saw how Lucy drooped. Even brought her a cup of coffee.

Wyatt woke up during the ultrasound. Lucy rushed over, but felt broken-hearted that the first faces he saw were strangers.

His look of relief when he saw her was everything.

Denise swooped when they returned to Wyatt's room, awaiting the results from the tests and prognosis from the Doctor. "Lucy, you must get rest now. Wyatt, please tell her she has to take a break and rest?"

He had to swallow to be able to speak. "Stubborn as a mule..."

Denise couldn't help but scoff. "The two of you could hold a competition."

"How do you intend to keep me in line if you can't see straight?" he told her. Lucy rolled her eyes exasperated. He wasn't playing fair here.

"You're the one who need the rest, I'm fine."

"You haven't had a good night sleep since I left. Rufus told me. He was worried. Humor me here Luce...please." His soft pleading look broke the last of her resistance.

"Alright, but I am not leaving this room."

Denise responded, "Of course. I'm going to see how that can be arranged." She was going to leave when Wyatt's words stopped her.

"No need. There's enough space for two."

"Wyatt..." Lucy started protesting, while internally loving his need for her to be close.

A knock to the door interrupted & the doctor came in. Lucy immediately tensed. "You can consider yourself lucky Master Sergeant. You do have abdominal bleeding, but the procedure to address it at this stage will be minimally invasive." Lucy and Wyatt gulped in unison.

They looked at each other. Wyatt gave a small encouraging nod. Lucy said, "Define 'minimally invasive.'"

"The surgeon is prepping now, I can explain as we go." A familiar cast of blue, rainbow and puppy-scrub clad caregivers came in.

Lucy held Wyatt's hand as they travelled to the surgery. The reality of blood only occurred to her as they helped her on with the mask.

The surgeon's assistant in the puppy scrubs was very helpful. She learned more about laparotomy than she had ever, ever wanted.

She was proud of herself. She did not faint. And when the nausea became too much, she made it out to a sink. But as she held her hand to her mouth, watching, she felt so helpless. Her hands were starting to shake from fatigue.

Denise made arrangements for a cot to be brought to Wyatt's room. To ease her own fears, she doubled the security and began a second screening.

Lucy was leaning against the wall by the time they began to stitch Wyatt up. She leaned on the gurney as they led him back. Cort, the rainbow scrub attendant chattered about how well things had gone.

Lucy couldn't understand why it took the three whole years to walk down that hallway and move Wyatt from one bed to another.  _Good thing we have a time machine_ , she thought.

Finally, the room was still. Wyatt slept, and the machines hummed and beeped around him in quiet rhythm once more.

Lucy, slumping over on the cot, sat dazed. She slipped off her shoes, her sweater, then pulled herself to her feet and crept quietly to Wyatt's bed. She fit herself in beside him, careful of his tubes & bandages.

She laid a kiss to his cheek. He stirred.

"Luce..." "Shhhh..I'm here." Her arm rested on his chest. He breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Lucy lay awake holding him a while. Drained and exhausted, but unable to let go of the moment. Her last thought before drifting off was,  _Wish I could tell Amy._


	2. Chapter 2

"Wait, your plan was what?"

Lucy handed a water bottle to a very stiff Wyatt. He had been making good progress in physical therapy, but was impatient to get back up to speed. Wyatt glanced at her ruefully. She went on,"So you found where Rittenhouse's repository of alternate timelines was archived, and decided to go in guns first?"

Wyatt lay back down on the bench & gestured for her to up the weights on the machine. She showed him one, then shook her head & added one much lighter.

"It seemed like our best option. Hey, are you trying to insult my pride with that weight?"

"Best option, my ass. All your leaked intel was unintelligible! And, no, I'm doing what I came here to do. Help you get better."

He took a rest, and pulled himself up. She put her hands on his shoulders, and leaned in close. "You do realize I nearly lost you? I'm never going to be a fan of a plan that does that," she whispered by his ear.

Wyatt said,"You got me." Then he smiled, savoring having her close. "No more plans without the official Lucy seal of approval."

She put her hand on his cheek, not afraid to kiss him any more but still shy of doing so in public. Confessions of love at the hospital bedside, she had found, are long in the romantic department but come up way short in the practical alleviation of what those confessions provoke.

Wyatt cupped her hand with his, shifted them and kissed her palm tenderly. She shivered. He was thinking,  _I would give my left foot to have Lucy, a couple of bottles of wine and a long weekend at a hotel right now._

Rufus came tearing in, interrupting their reveries.

"Guys!" Rufus took in what was going on. He cleared his throat. "Um, guys. Sorry to intrude, but Flynn is here!"

Both of their faces changed. Wyatt's became grim, determined. Lucy's amazed, wondering.

By force of habit, Wyatt reached for his gun. As he looked around for points of entry, cover and defensible positions, he looped his arm around Lucy's waist, looking for the comfort of knowing right where she was, and to know he could put himself between her and harm's way at a moment's notice.

Lucy was dumbfounded by Rufus' news. A million questions came to her mind. She thought of the last time she had seen Garcia Flynn: cursing her name, grief-stricken. The image of the graves of his family, Lorena and Iris Flynn, which she and Amy had searched out and found. She felt Wyatt put his arm around her waist and unthinking sighed, comforted. "He can lean on me," Lucy thought, and put her arm across his shoulders.

They looked together at Rufus and said simultaneously: "Did he escape?" "Is he going to help?"

Lucy and Wyatt turned their heads slightly and looked askance at one another.

Rufus said, "He's under guard. Apparently Christopher thought it would be a good idea to bring him in to 'assist.'" He shook his head agitatedly.

Lucy nodded, ruminating. "She said she was going to get all the help she could."

Wyatt gave her a **look**. "Lucy, you can't be okay with this." He stepped back a pace, space coming between them though he kept his hand to her waist, her hand came to rest on his near shoulder.

Rufus shook his head. "He's tried to get us all killed at one time or another. He's furious at you, Lucy. How can we possibly trust him?"

Lucy stepped away from Wyatt. She started calmly gathering his things that they had brought from his room for physical therapy. She said quietly, "He helped us bring down Rittenhouse. He didn't kill his family. He's done terrible things, but he is a victim, too."

Wyatt spoke forcefully but softly, "Lucy, no. He's gotten in your head, because of the journal."

Rufus walked over to Lucy and put his hand on her arm, "Lucy, I know it's tempting to want to redeem him, but remember he killed Anthony."

She pressed Rufus' hand and looked over to Wyatt sadly. "There is so much at stake here, and we've all almost lost so much we have to use all the help we can get." Rufus dropped his hand, shaking his head. He walked briskly away.

Lucy gathered up Wyatt's physical PT bag, and stepped to his side. The stitches in his abdomen prickled. His bruised and fractured right leg ached. The hand that Lucy looped over her shoulder twinged.

Wyatt said, "Lucy..."

She put her hand on his cheek, and kissed him tenderly not caring who might see. Wyatt kissed her back, still wondering at the miracle that had even allowed this moment to happen, but feeling panic, anger.

Lucy lost herself in the moment. Then she pulled back, looked into his troubled blue eyes. "Sometimes to protect the people we love we make what seem like the wrong choices to them," she concluded sadly.

Wyatt looked away for a moment. Gave her a sad smile, and said, "I don't sign off on this plan."

Lucy nodded. "Let's get you back to the room."

They walked leaning together, but each lost in their own thoughts. After a bit, Wyatt stopped Lucy and said, "Luce, just remember where that got me." Then he hugged her closer and continued on.

* * *

Rufus was livid. Wyatt had never seen him this angry.

Jiya put her hand on Rufus' shoulder. A muscle twitched in his jaw. He said, "Wyatt, you seem pretty calm about this."

Wyatt looked back steadily at his friend. "Trust me, the last thing I want to see right now is Lucy questioning Flynn. But I'm in the dog house right now, and I'm biding my time for the right time to get this off the rails." He sighed. "Lucy isn't listening."

Inside the interrogation room, Flynn said, "Lucy, you're not listening." He extended his shackled hands. Agent Christopher touched her taser.

"One wrong move Flynn & you're back in your cell," She warned him.

Flynn gave her a hard smile, "How nice of you to take me out for a walk."

Lucy thought,  _If we don't put our differences aside, this will get nowhere._  "You always were five steps ahead of us. What do you know about the Rittenhouse code ?"

"It's not so much what I know that you're interested in, are you?" Flynn stared Lucy for a moment. "You need it because you found something."

Lucy took a breath, they wouldn't get his cooperation by lying. "We did. Archived documents that even the most advanced software can't read."

Flynn shook his head smirking."Ironic isn't it? I needed your help and now you need mine." Lucy was pretty sure he was testing her patience.

Back in the observation room, Jiya had put her arms around Rufus to get him to stop pacing. She rested her head on his shoulder. To distract him, she said, "So what's the skinny on these encrypted files? Has Christopher had you looking into them?"

Rufus took a breath, blinked, and looked at Jiya. He rested his hands on hers and gave them a squeeze. "Of course. And now that you're here, she'll get you on it, too, I'm sure." He shifted in her arms, putting his around her.

Rufus looked back to the window where an increasingly agitated Lucy tried to reason with Flynn. "Jiya, you don't have to be here."

Jiya made an exasperated sound. "Not this again! It's all hands on deck. We have access to all records of Rittenhouse if we can only decipher them."

Rufus said, "And Wyatt nearly got killed getting those records..." Wyatt gave him a sharp look. Rufus shrugged, "Sorry, but it's true."

Looking to Jiya, Rufus kissed her on the forehead and crushed her to him. "I know it's the right thing to have you here, I know we need your brilliance but I keep thinking about what we still don't know about Rittenhouse, and we're literally asking for help from the man who killed one of my best friends, and mentors." Wyatt, tensely watching Lucy looked at his friends with concern.

Jiya shook her head. "You can't expect me to sit aside while you all take the risks?" Wyatt laughed, startling them both.

"Lucy is right." Rufus glared at Wyatt who raised a shoulder and continued. "Not about Flynn, but about us. We all want to martyr ourselves, and take the blow. But all we're doing is weakening ourselves. Cutting ourselves off from our best resources. Each other's talents, encouragement.." Wyatt glanced back at Lucy, standing now, near Flynn. "Each other's love & support." He looked to his friends again. "It's just not smart. We're a team for a reason. We need each other. We're at our best together. And..."

Jiya pointed & exclaimed, "Should that be happening?"

Wyatt immediately believed Flynn must have attacked Lucy or Agent Christopher, he was ready to barge in when his brain registered what was really happening. Lucy was...comforting Flynn? He had to blink a few times to be sure he was actually seeing that.  _What the hell is she playing at?_ She was offering support to the man who kidnapped her, who got Rufus shot by Capone. Even worse it looked like there was an intimacy between them.

Wyatt thought back to that basement in DC in 1954. Lucy had known just what to say to convince Flynn to change his mind. He was on his feet before he realized what he was doing.

Jiya and Rufus both called out: "Whoa, Wyatt, stop, don't go in there!"

* * *

After Lucy told Flynn that they had the encoded archive, she could feel Agent Christopher's shock and frustration. But she knew Flynn. After all this time, after all these missions. She'd even read scribbled notes he'd added to "her" journal. She felt the loss of his family by now as keenly as she felt Wyatt's loss of Jess. Or felt the still-fresh but healing wounds of losing Amy.

She also knew that Flynn would not stand for deception. Not after what Agent Christopher had pulled when she met him that final time. Lucy felt she owed him. And she felt she knew how to get his cooperation. She looked at Agent Christopher, who gave her a look like "what are you doing?" but nodded confidently to her.

Wyatt knew he was out of line for wanting to rip Lucy away from Flynn. He also knew she was the only one that could get intel out of him. But watching them being so close bothered him in ways he couldn't describe. Like she shared something with Flynn she wouldn't ever with him.

On the other side of the glass, the former NSA agent started talking. "Trust me I spent a lot of time searching for the key. Let's say when it was created they made sure only the highest persons in the chain of command knew how to decode it."

Lucy's thoughts went to her mother who probably knew all of this. "But you have an idea about who might be able to do it."

Flynn gave an arch smile. Lucy thought,  _How can he be so poised even chained up, under these circumstances?_

Watching, Rufus said, "Why does the expression on his face terrify me?" Jiya grimaced. Wyatt stood again and said, "That's it, party's over."

Jiya's expression changed to worry. "What are you going to do?" Wyatt limped toward the door. "He's getting inside her head again. I've seen him do this." He glanced back with a wry grin. "He did it to me." Hobbling he said, "He knows Lucy's vulnerabilities."

Wyatt entered the room the moment Lucy made an offer to Flynn. "You can trust my words. You believed my journal... Help us & I'll do everything I can to save your family."

Wyatt couldn't believe what he was hearing neither did Agent Christopher from the look on her face.

"I think you're done here." His tone indicated clearly he wasn't too happy about her decision.

"Lucy, a word please." Agent Christopher requested.

The door was barely closed when Wyatt turned on her. "What was that? Lucy he manipulated you to get exactly what he wanted."

Agent Christopher glanced quizzically at Wyatt, but said sharply to Lucy, "You had no authority to offer terms to Flynn. Much less promise to save his family."

Rufus and Jiya joined them as Lucy was saying, "I didn't say we could do it, just that I would advocate for him." She gave a pleading look to Wyatt. "He's a broken man, he's lost everything. You, we can understand that more than anyone. He can help us, and I believe he will if he can hope."

Rufus broke in, "So we just forget about the lives he's taken. Water under the bridge and let's move on? Why is he even here?"

"Because we're wasting precious time when someone has the answers. I'm not saying we forgive him. Just keep in mind he suffered, too." Lucy was acting like Flynn's lawyer, defending his case with every argument she could find, to the team's disbelief.

"The plan was to get intel out of him, not offer him a trade." Agent Christopher was furious.

"If we give him a reason to fight for, we're getting more on Rittenhouse in one time than we ever did until now." Lucy pleaded, her eyes on Wyatt.

So now she was using his words to back up Flynn. That left him with a bad taste in his mouth. Wyatt was trying really hard to keep his temper in check.

Agent Christopher took a step back inside. Looking at her team, with Wyatt and Lucy locking horns, Rufus about to explode with anger & frustration, and Jiya caught in the middle. Agent Christopher made a decision.

"I think it's time you all see exactly what we're dealing with."

"Follow me."

She instructed the guards to return Flynn to his cell, and made a call for transport. Rufus glared as Flynn was lead away. Flynn eyed them all, and smiled at Lucy. Wyatt felt his temperature rise.

As they followed Agent Christopher upwards. Jiya skipped in excitement, Rufus dragged his feet in worry.

Lucy and Wyatt looked at each other for a long moment as the others moved off.

"This isn't done." "I know." "You can't trust him." "I...know." "You've got to see how he's using you?" "He's listened to me before."

Wyatt's eyes grew wide with anger, he gritted his teeth. "Like you listened to me, in Germany?"

Lucy's eyes grew wide, too. In surprise and realization. "Wyatt...I..."

He shook his head, and stomped off up the hallway following the others. Lucy stood a moment dazed, then took off after him.

She caught up with him quickly. His pace was slowed from his injuries. His breathing labored from pain. She stepped close to him, softly. They exchanged a wordless glance. Lucy, pleading, insistent, full of love. Wyatt, angry, implacable, with a hint of fear.

Wyatt's grim mask faltered. He put out his arm. Gratefully, she slipped beneath it and put her arm around him. He gave a sad smile and a quick kiss to her temple.

They emerged on the roof where the others were huddling beneath the howling wind from rotating blades of a helicopter. The team crowded into the bird. The sound of the engines made conversation difficult. Jiya peered out the window, beguiled.

Lucy froze, keeping her eyes inside and inching as far from the doors as possible. Rufus squeezed her hand, and Wyatt tugged her close.

Wyatt yelled, "Lucy, you have to look now." "No..." "Really, you can't miss this. You'll really regret it." Rufus and Jiya chimed in: "Lucy, you have to look!"

Lucy looked out and saw they flew over the carved heads of Mount Rushmore. She felt a sense of vertigo, both in space and in the spinning wheels of her lifetime.

The helicopter landed on President Lincoln's head. They all clung together against the wind and yawning heights.

Agent Christopher yelled to Wyatt: "This is the way, correct?" He nodded. Lucy thought she felt his limp become a bit more pronounced. Agent Christopher led them to rough hewn steps in the rock, leading to a square, endless-seeming tunnel.

Eventually they came to a large chamber. Agent Christopher lit a torch. They saw equipment, then shelves with binders, then dusty books and papers on into the dimness and dark, as far as the eye could see.

"Welcome, my friends to the Rittenhouse archives."


	3. Chapter 3

Jiya and Rufus started at the end of the cavernous hall closest to the door. Lucy wended her way as far back as she could. She snapped on another torch and made her way carefully through the stacks, desks and layered shelving. She saw books, papers, parchment.

Wyatt hovered by the door with Agent Christopher, keeping an eye on everyone. He said, "You're bringing them here to get buy in?"

Agent Christopher looked at him sideways. "They need motivation. We need the leverage this data will give us. If this gets things moving..."

Wyatt raised his eyebrows. "Whatever it takes, huh?"

She looked at him, disappointed. "I hope you know by now that I care about you all. But there's a job to do."

Wyatt smirked. Agent Christopher frowned. Lucy caught his eye as she disappeared behind a shelf. He shook his head at Denise, and painfully got to his feet and started across the long hall. He met Jiya inspecting what looked like a wall covered with switches and plugs. Something about it tugged at his memory.

"Jiya, what is this thing?" She looked at him, and couldn't speak for a moment.

"Wyatt, I am almost 100% certain that this is an original electro-mechanical computing machine. One of the first computers."

Wyatt smiled as Rufus joined them. "You two are gonna be like kids in a candy store." Rufus nodded, "It's like a museum of technology."

Wyatt found Lucy by following the path of her light. Her flashlight strobed across the sheafs of paper, giving the room a ghostly hue. "Find anything interesting?"

Lucy turned, startled. "Wyatt?" She looked closely to see how he fared. "If you are that quiet this hurt, I'm glad you are on my side."

He gave her a lopsided grin. She went on, "To answer your question, yes...and no." She gestured and Wyatt looked at the papers she'd ranged on a table.

"It's just as Denise said. Strings of figures and characters I don't recognize. There are so many, and we don't know what they are records, transcripts, journals (like mine?), contracts, blackmail? I wouldn't put any of that past Rittenhouse."

Lucy stopped and looked at Wyatt. "Can you read any of it?" He peered at a sheet. Nothing.

He shook his head, then smiled sardonically. Lucy said, "What?" He looked down for a moment then said, "Nice to have a moment to look at this stuff after risking my life for it."

Lucy stilled. In the half-light he couldn't see her face well, but imagined it growing pale.

"Hey, it's over now, Lucy."

She spoke softly and he stepped closer to hear. "All this for what? Perhaps we don't need to know what it says. Maybe all we need to know is that Rittenhouse gathered it, wanted it, to know that it should not exist."

Wyatt put a hand to Lucy's face. He didn't have an answer.

She leaned into Wyatt's hand. They could hear Rufus & Jiya talking with Agent Christopher. A sudden gleam came into Lucy's eyes. She gave Wyatt's hand a squeeze, then swiveled to face the stacks. "We may not be able to tell  **what**  they say, but can tell  **when**  they were written."

Lucy began taking samples from various sections of the floor. She ran her fingers down the spine of several books. Shifted flyleaves gingerly. She got Wyatt's help to carry single pages of parchment carefully, carefully to where they were collecting papers.

Yet again, Wyatt realized how deeply he had missed her presence. She caught him looking at her and said, "See, you did need me."

Wyatt smiled & nodded, watching as Lucy moved toward Agent Christopher to work on the logistics of moving items to the base. He thought soberly,  _Trust me, I know._

* * *

Later, as they moved boxes up the stairs and across the unforgiving granite, Lucy insisted that Wyatt make the trip but once. When he groused about being useless, Agent Christopher, Rufus and Jiya all turned on him. Agent Christopher said, "You are still under doctor's orders."

They moved some of the smaller equipment. Pieces for identification, odd clockworks. Rufus said, "Classic Rittenhouse. They do have an aesthetic."

Lucy mostly kept well back from the edge, but found herself gazing out and down, thinking of Wyatt's squad and their fight at this height. She came back to the chopper and crawled into Wyatt's arms, holding him tightly.

"Luce?"

"You're here. I'm never letting you go again."

"Lucy?! What?" She looked up at him in tears.

"You fought them here. All your injuries. You could have fallen..." She put her head back down on his shoulder, sobbing. He held her and stroked her hair. When the others joined them, he nodded, shook his head at questions.

"It's all right Lucy, I'm here," he said into her ear as the engines started.

* * *

They were all a bit shaken up by the journey to the archives, so Jiya prescribed hot chocolate all around. Agent Christopher grumbled, but she felt the deep cold of the stones that had settled in her bones subside as she sipped. Wyatt would not leave Lucy's side until he heard her laugh again.

They took out the antique and ancient equipment and traded guesses about their origin & uses. Lucy insisted one piece was from ancient Greece. Rufus argued it was far too well preserved. Jiya said they should call the Smithsonian, and they broke into a good spirited argument about how the artifacts should be preserved, where they belonged, and who had the rights to them.

Rufus said, "Well, I hate to say this, Lucy, but doesn't your wacky Rittenhouse blood mean you are the heir?" Lucy and Jiya made disgusted noises and batted at him.

Jiya said, "Aren't they squatting on government property? Hey, and so what's up with this  _National Treasure_  knockoff business?"

"Well Rittenhouse clearly has been around a lot longer than Nicholas Cage. Maybe someone in Rittenhouse tried to leak about it by slipping that in the movie?" said Lucy.

They all laughed. Lucy said, "The collection predates the hall..."

Rufus threw in, "Even if they don't go back to Rome." "Greece!" Lucy said.

"Anyway," Lucy continued huffily, "they must have stored it somewhere before Mount Rushmore was carved & then moved it here."

Jiya said, "And they shipped those early computers up the mountain? They must have been assembled in place. What on Earth are they still doing here?"

Lucy responded, "That chamber shouldn't be there, either. The passage way was dug by the artist who made the monument, but he died before it was done."

"Or he 'died' before it was 'done,'" said Rufus, using air quotes. Lucy looked around for Wyatt. She saw him down the hall, now on the phone.

"Wyatt was there when it was opened, maybe he'll know more." Lucy got up and walked toward him.

He saw her, she smiled his way. He grinned, shook his head, held up one finger and turned away, still talking on the phone.

Lucy waited. She thought she caught "...ask for the key. Top shelf...can't wait."

He ended the call & turned back to her. "What did you decide?"

Lucy's forehead furrowed. "About what?"

"The archive."

"I was coming to ask you about it." He gave her his arm, and they walked back.

Lucy saw Agent Christopher, also on the phone, and looked at Wyatt. "What's up?"

He looked innocent, glanced at Denise, and said: We're making arrangements."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, "For...?" Wyatt scoffed, "For the archive removal." Lucy looked at him askance.

She stopped him before they rejoined the others, remembering. "Wyatt, we never finished our conversation about Flynn."

Wyatt said, "Seems like Denise deflected us all from that puzzle. Do you want to keep arguing about it?" His tone wasn't angry, but more resigned.

Lucy looked at him. He was holding himself upright, but his color was off. His energy low.

"Let's you and me talk." She said.

* * *

They said good night to Rufus and Jiya, who were also yawning. Lucy said wistfully, "Rufus, are we okay?" He hugged her. Jiya hugged her, too. Hugs went all around.

They made their way back to the infirmary room where they were staying together. Lucy helped Wyatt undress and got him settled back in bed. They'd worked out an odd, part-of-the-night-snuggle/part-of-the-night-sleep-separately, routine that honored the shape he was in and their need for sleep, while doing something to relieve their need for closeness. An awkward compromise, but something.

Wyatt was agitated. Lucy sat on the edge of the bed in her pajamas. "Okay, so there's something I need to say," she began. "Or ask, really."

He turned to face her fully, quirked an eyebrow, listening. Lucy gulped, said softly. "Wyatt, when I defended Flynn, you got..strange."

Wyatt said, "Angry, you mean?" But he looked away.

Lucy went on, "No, I mean, yes of course. But something else you said...about Germany."

Wyatt looked uncomfortable. "I snapped at you. I didn't mean it." She put a hand on his wrist. "I think you did."

Wyatt looked trapped. "Lucy, hey, you don't have to explain to me. I disagree, but..."

"Wyatt, tell me how you feel."

Wyatt whispered,"Afraid."

Lucy was surprised. "What?"

He looked away again, but continued. "Lucy, there's always been something between you and Flynn. He's got an understanding of you that I just don't have. And.." he hesitated.

Lucy was taken aback.  _Understanding?_  Wyatt continued. "When I saw you with him & heard you take his side, I felt I had missed something more."

Lucy shook her head, then shifted. She slid down to take what had become her normal place on the narrow bed beside him. She turned his face to hers.

"Wyatt, there's nothing to see there. I hear what you're saying and that's not me. Not this timeline." She smiled & he responded in kind. She went on, "I feel compassion for Flynn. Amy and I visited his family's graves." Wyatt looked surprised. Lucy said, "I felt I owed it to him." She teared up for a moment.

Wyatt pulled her to him. Lucy held him.

"Wyatt, I love you. That's all there is."

He murmured, "I'm sorry." She said, "Shh..."

They comforted one another, and fell asleep in time.

Sometime in the night, the light on Wyatt's phone flashed with a message for him.

* * *

Flynn contemplated his change in scenery. Being out of the maximum security prison was a relief. Being alone was better than the abuse and constant fears of social confinement. He hadn't thought to see the Time Team again, though they'd been ever present in his thoughts. Seeing Lucy again made him angrier than he'd realized it might. He had trusted her. She had been trustworthy. Then to let him down so hard, in such a way, about his family.

It felt good to let her twist in the wind a bit. But if they'd really come across the archive...? Perhaps there was something there that could help him save his beloveds. It hurt too much to hope.

The rattle of the keys startled him back awake. He wasn't sure how long he'd been in the cell. Just new it had long been completely quiet.

It was just Agent Christopher that confronted him now. She said, "I take it that you have been comfortable." He rolled his eyes.

"If we're done with the pleasantries, please tell me what you want. You don't have Lucy here again to wheedle me into helping you?"

Agent Christopher flopped a thick stack of stapled papers down in front of him. "Please review this." He looked at it, skimmed the first page, flipped more

He arched an eyebrow, "So the upshot is?"

"IF you assist us substantially and IF we find that your help is useful, your sentence will be commuted. And, if it happens that we find evidence of Rittenhouse involvement in the tragic deaths of your family those charges will be dismissed."

Agent Christopher looked at him thoughtfully. "Lucy offered something she didn't have the authority for but I understand how much you have lost, as have many on our team. I think we would be alert to opportunities to help any of you. But absolutely no promises. And you are still serving time for the many crimes you have committed. Including the death of Anthony Bruhl."

Flynn nodded, looked back to the packet of papers. He gave a dark look to the middle distance.

Flynn nodded. "I accept. But I need one more thing."

"What is it?"

"Access to the records once they are decoded."

Agent Christopher said incredulously, "You're kidding. You must think you have quite the bargaining position?"

Flynn look at her intently, " **You**  must be quite desperate to come to me."


	4. Chapter 4

Lucy woke on the small cot, early. She listened to Wyatt's breathing, then moved over to lie beside him again. Their shared early mornings were balm to her uneasy soul, these days. His eyes fluttered and he woke when she put her arm on him. "Is everything okay?"

Lucy nodded to Wyatt. "It's fine, it's early. You should rest." He was quiet and she thought he fell back to sleep. Then he said, "Have you talked with Amy?"

Lucy looked at him surprised, "No, I'm not sure what to tell her. I can't say anything about anything."

Wyatt put his hand on Lucy's arm. "So? She'll want to hear your voice. And I know you want to hear hers." Lucy rested her head on his shoulder. "Yes."

He said, "Lucy, how are we doing?"

She smiled. "You know how I feel." His hand tightened on her. She went on, "And we'll always disagree. It's how it is."

He turned his head to look at her. "Things like working with Flynn are not like disagreeing over what color to paint the living room."

Lucy said, "It's a matter of scale. We have arguments over things that can wipe people out of existence or bring them back. We're going to have to be resilient about this stuff or we won't survive." Wyatt nodded and said. "We've made it this far." They settled in to cuddle and waited for the day's call to action.

* * *

The Team worked with other staff to relay the equipment down to the base. There was a smattering of pieces from each era. Lucy took some time in the morning to give her sister a call, while the others were assembled to make a plan for the day. Agent Christopher broke her news about the deal she'd cut with Flynn while Lucy was gone. There was general disagreement and disgust.

"Wait, wait until you see the details." Agent Christopher brought out the packet of papers now with Garcia Flynn's signature.

Rufus threw up his hands. Jiya picked up the packet and skimmed through it.

Wyatt said: "It's going to be very difficult for us to accept him as part of our team. You're sacrificing team cohesion for this possible resource."

Jiya held up her hand and said,"He's not free. He's going to serve sentences he was convicted for, this just reduces the terms, and.." She glanced at Agent Christopher, "...and may dismiss the sentence for his murder of his family if evidence is uncovered that shows him to be innocent."

They were all silent.

Rufus asked, "So how would this work? If he's still a prisoner?"

Agent Christopher: "He'll act as a consultant."

Rufus said, "So like Hannibal Lecter and shit?"

They laughed. Agent Christopher said, "Yup, I guess so."

Lucy walked back over. "What's so funny?" Wyatt took her hand. "Flynn is going to help us. You had to be there."

* * *

Lucy stayed away from Flynn. Jiya found herself curious, and ferried some of the pieces and papers to the room where he sat under guard. He looked at her quizzically. "I don't know you."

Jiya smiled. "Gonna keep it that way, Mister. What do these tell you?"

Flynn peered at them. "Code of course," he said dismissively.

Jiya rolled her eyes. "We're making your life easier for this?"

Flynn looked narrowly at her. "You're part of the team, aren't you." He grinned and tried to clap his hands, hampered by manacles. "Of course!"

Jiya skipped right past feeling uncomfortable straight to getting hazily afraid. "You don't know who I am."

Flynn shook his head. "I didn't meet you but I believe I know a certain pilot who was very concerned for your safety." Flynn looked away with a contained smile and examined the pieces.

Jiya excused herself and made a point to ask the guard at the door to "watch him carefully." She met Rufus coming up the hall.

Rufus looked at Jiya's expression, "What's wrong?"

She nodded towards the interogation room. "You were not kidding about him."

"Did he hurt you? Or threaten you?"

Jiya shook her head. "Worse, he just neatly put me in a box without seeing me before in his life."

Rufus put his arm around her. She went on, "I can understand now why Wyatt flipped out. Is everybody in the NSA like that?"

Jiya went to walk away from the room, but Rufus moved closer, going to the observation glass again and she followed him. He gestured to the objects with Flynn.

Rufus said, "What is he doing with those things? Couldn't he kill someone with a paperclip?"

Agent Christopher walked up. Jiya pointed to her:"She said it was OK."

Denise nodded, "Flynn understands his position here. And if he doesn't, it's better to learn sooner rather than later."

Rufus & Jiya exchanged a worried glance.

* * *

Lucy and Wyatt took a break for his daily exercises. He was quite sore from the exertions of the trip out to the archive. Forty-five minutes walk on level surface found them winding throughout the complex. "My money's on this place being off the books," said Wyatt.

They were surprised when activity started around them. The hangar doors opened and a truck entered bearing the Lifeboat.

One of the techs approached them, "ID's please?" Lucy and Wyatt about laughed. They showed their passes. The tech's attitude changed.

"Please watch out as we bring in the equipment, Master Sergeant, Miss Preston." He shepherded them looking a bit hang-dog. They found a safe place to sit and watch them unload and dock the ship.

Lucy said,"He must be new here."

"They all are. Most of these folks are military. I've not seen any of Mason's folks."

"Speaking of Connor, do you know if he's involved?"

Lucy noticed that Wyatt hesitated a moment. He said, "Yes, I think Denise said that he'd be joining us soon."

Wyatt went on, "Mason would be coming because of the Lifeboat."

"Must be..." Lucy's shoulders went down, her expression went cold. "That means we'll have to jump again soon." She turned to Wyatt. "Amy..." He took her hand.

The doors rumbled open again. A second, larger truck entered. They saw the gleaming white of the Mothership against the dark green of the truck's tarpaulin.

Lucy said,"How many of us are they sending?"

Wyatt rubbed his healing leg. "Guess that depends on where we need to go."

* * *

After several days with the artifacts, Wyatt was feeling like he'd be happy never to see another piece of code as long as he lived. It didn't help that the others took to the endless, baffling process like ducks to water. He'd certainly done his share of decoding and encrypting in training for missions but this was different. The scale, the variety, the dust..

"Give me a bomb to defuse, any day of the week." Lucy looked alarmed as she brought him another stack of paper scan. "Don't joke!"

"It'd be preferable to this..." He gestured to the scanner. "Is this really all I'm good for now?"

Lucy could not resist. She leaned in and gave him a kiss that took his mind completely off his troubles. She murmured, "Wait until we get out of this godforsaken base.."

He whispered back cheekily, "Promises, promises.. " but took his sweet time letting go of her and getting back to work.

Rufus and Jiya had set up databases to sort and analyse the analog data Wyatt was entering, as well as the more contemporary files. They were having a confab with Agent Christopher when Lucy came in.

Rufus gestured to her and said:"You spoke with the Doc the most. She told you Rittenhouse kept oral records didn't she?"

Lucy nodded. "Yes, that's right. She'd been trained, like me, same school even..." She trailed off, disturbed.

Lucy shook her head and snapped out of it. "At least for part of our schooling. Do you think she could help?"

Jiya said "We're wondering why she thought that hers were the only records, when this massive repository was up here?"

Agent Christopher shrugged and said, "They do like keeping people in the dark. Maybe this was intended as a redundant system, just in case they lost historians?"

Rufus said, "Turns out they were right to do so. They seem to have lost two even that we know of."

Jiya said, "Two?"

Rufus looked at her, "Well, the Doc, and.." He nodded at Lucy.

Lucy grimaced. She couldn't disagree but did not like it. She changed the subject. "Can someone relieve Wyatt? He's getting punchy down there."

Jiya said, "I'll go, I could use some mindless data entry while I sort thru these algorithms in my mind." She gave Rufus a kiss and dashed away.

Lucy looked towards the interrogation room. "How's he coming along?"

Rufus nodded. "He's been kind of scarily helpful, like you'd expect."

Agent Christopher said, "He hasn't given us any actionable leads yet."

Rufus chipped in reluctantly but honestly, "But he's helped Jiya and me circumvent some dead ends in our investgations. He's a murderous, caustic dickhead, but at least he's a valuable murderous, caustic dickhead."

Lucy steeled herself. "I should talk with him."

Agent Christopher raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome to, but I'd insist on you not doing it alone." They saw Wyatt come towards them. "Perfect timing," she said.

* * *

Wyatt took it better than Lucy had feared. He just nodded, asked Agent Christopher a few questions about the security precautions that were in place.

Lucy thought back to her conversation with her sister that morning while the others talked...

Amy answered the phone, "Lucy! I'm so glad to hear from you."

In her heart, Lucy blessed Wyatt for telling her to call Amy. She almost couldn't speak from the tears that threatened when she heard her sister's voice.

"Lucy, this is you, right?" Some uncertainty crept into Amy's voice. Lucy cleared her throat, trying to talk before the tone became fear.

"It's me, Amy. How are you?"

"How am I?! How are you?"

"Fine, fine. It's..." Lucy shook her head. "There is so much I want to tell you."

Amy said, "Let me guess, you can't tell me where you are, what you're doing, who you're doing it with or why?" Lucy gave a chagrined laugh. "Yup."

Amy laughed as well. "Well, there's one person I do know, at least I hope, is there with you. How are things with your fave handsome soldier?"

Lucy wiped the remnants of tears from her eyes. "He's good. So much better. It was terrifying..." She trailed off.

Amy nodded uselessly. "I know, 'you can't tell me why'. It's okay, I get it. You were a mess when you left. His life was in danger, right?"

Lucy whispered. "Yes." Silence sat between them for a moment. "But he's alive. He's healing. I'm sorry it took me so long to contact you."

"Darn right! I've been waiting on tenterhooks (whatever those are) to hear from you. I figured your boss would call me if anything serious happened. Though apparently they haven't been so good at letting you call me."

Lucy felt ashamed, "I'm so sorry. It was my fault this time. I'll keep in better touch now. Actually, Wyatt made me call you."

Amy laughed again, "So I have him to thank? Remind me to add that to the list."

Lucy said,"What list?"

Amy responded a breath later. "Well, from the stories you've told me, he's saved your bacon more times than you could count."

Lucy said, "And I've saved him, too! But, yeah. There's no doubt there."

"Really? That's now how it was when you left me..."

Lucy was mystified, "What?"

"Doubt. You were all doubt until you got the call. Have things changed?"

Lucy blushed. "Yeah, a little."

"A little, huh?

"Maybe a lot."

Amy said, "Good. **I**  never had any doubt about you two. And you know, someday you've got to tell me what on earth 'tenterhooks' are." Lucy laughed.

* * *

Coming back to the present, Lucy shrugged off her memories of lecturing her sister on fabric making in the 17th century, as Wyatt and Agent Christopher turned to her.

Wyatt took her hand. "You know you don't have to do this if you don't want?" Lucy shook her head. "No. I know. But Wyatt, can we talk first."

They stepped away from the others. Lucy said, "You seem okay with this, are you?"

Wyatt looked away. "Honestly?" She nodded. He went on, "Honestly, no. I'm not comfortable seeing him within a mile of you. He's cunning, resourceful, dangerous. He thinks you've betrayed him."

Lucy said, "He's right about that."

Wyatt said, "No he isn't." He took her hand. "Lucy, you've fought for him, cared for him, saw the good in him when no one else did."

Lucy looked down. "I do care, despite what he's done." She looked at Wyatt again. "That's what I really wanted to ask. Do you trust me with him?"

She looked steadily at Wyatt. He returned her look but seemed to turn inward for a moment. Then the tension when out of his shoulders and he looked at her with a serene, happy look. He put his hands on her arms and just said: "I trust you."

Lucy looked at him shaking her head, something happy bubbling up inside of her, completely at odds with the moment, but feeling right.

Wyatt went on, "I trust you with my life, Lucy. I don't trust Flynn as far as I can throw him..."

Lucy cut in:"Which would not be very far right now."

He gave her the stink eye, but they were both smiling. Then he said, "As I was saying, and I do think he's full of tricks that he wouldn't hesitate to use on any of us. but you were right to offer him hope. And I was wrong..." His voice sank even quieter. "...to doubt you. About him. About us."

Lucy nodded, wishing they were any where other than standing in a military complex full of dangerous secrets, their friends and enemies.

She said, "Wyatt, please note two things: 1) thank you for admitting you were wrong, I won't let you forget it, but I appreciate it, and 2) I absolutely want to kiss you right now even though it's totally the wrong moment, I feel like we've come so far and I want you to know—"

Lucy was cut off this time, by Wyatt pulling her to him and giving her a kiss that left her gasping.

Their friends had the temerity to applaud, and Lucy was left having to walk over to the interrogation room with her cheeks still flushed and her heart still pounding as she turned the door-handle on the room that held Garcia Flynn.

Flynn was surrounded by neat stacks of papers, several objects and photos of some of the larger equipment. He looked up at her calmly.

"Welcome back, Lucy. What meaningless promise will you make to me today, I wonder?" He looked back at papers, took some notes.

Lucy felt like she'd been struck with a bucket full of cold water. Wyatt's hand tightening on her elbow, she saw his anger blossom.

Agent Christopher saw it too, she put a hand on his shoulder and narrowed her eyes at Flynn. Wyatt took a deep breath. Lucy nodded at the two of them & then picked up a chair. She moved it over to Wyatt, carefully placing it for him to sit in, and ostentatiously giving him a hand. Wyatt looked at her like she was mad but gratefully and grudgingly sat. Lucy turned to Flynn & saw that he watched carefully. His eyes flickered across Wyatt taking in his condition.

"They didn't go down without a fight did they? You underestimated them...like you always have." Tension rose in the room. Flynn and Wyatt stared at each other.

"Not as much as you underestimated my patience. Cut the crap & start talking." Wyatt bit back at Flynn.

Flynn had the audacity to let out an exasperated sigh. "I have to give it to Lucy for putting up with that temper of yours."

Lucy knew she had to intervene because as much as Wyatt agreed, he wasn't going to tolerate Flynn's behavior acting superior for long.

Lucy said, "Flynn. Wyatt nearly died here." Both men looked at her in disbelief. Agent Christopher raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Lucy looked to Wyatt, he still seethed at Flynn but gave her a slight nod. Lucy turned to Flynn: "I want you to understand the stakes we're dealing with."

Flynn raised his eyebrows, and he became more heated as he spoke, "You're telling me what the stakes are? I've already lost everything."

Lucy dropped her guard and let her feelings show. She looked at Flynn with compassion and sadness. She said quietly. "I'm showing you what the stakes are for me."

She looked at Wyatt, still allowing her full feelings to show on her face, shifting now to love, longing, fear. She took his hand. Wyatt looked bewildered. Agent Christopher smiled.

Lucy squeezed Wyatt's hand and dropped it with a sad smile. She turned back to Flynn. Now she became businesslike, her tone sharp and biting. "I am in."

Lucy went on, "I am here to find the key we need to crack this code. Whatever it takes. I know what you want. You know what I want. We don't have to trust or like each other. We just have to know that working together is  **the**  option we have in order to protect, and perhaps save"—her lip trembled as she said this, but her eyes stayed stern—"our loved ones."

Agent Christopher watched Flynn as he listened to Lucy make her case. She saw him become guarded as Lucy expressed her care for him. Saw pain as Lucy showed her love for Wyatt. Flynn looked to Agent Christopher for confirmation as Lucy spoke about saving their loved ones.

Agent Christopher nodded, thinking,  _Heavens let there be a way to save his family, or there will be hell to pay._

When Lucy was done, Wyatt took her hand. Flynn was staring darkly at them, but nodded. He said, "You owe this to me." Lucy nodded, too. She heard Wyatt's sharp intake of breath.

Lucy looked at Wyatt and saw that he looked daggers at Flynn. But she nodded and said to Flynn. "I do." Wyatt could take no more.

Wyatt stood up and stepped close to Flynn. "Lucy has been your strongest ally from the start, Flynn, and you know it. She's saved your life many times."

Flynn leaned back taking this in. "From whom?"

"From me. And everytime you stepped into the Mothership, Lucy—some Lucy—directed and you gave you the help you needed to fight Rittenhouse. Gave you the tools to save your brother. Change your mother's life."

Wyatt paused and then went on, "..Perhaps even someday you'll be able to save your wife and daughter."

Flynn grew angry again. "You don't know that. She may have been manipulating me all the time. She gets what she wants." He gestured to Wyatt. "But what about me."

Wyatt spoke intently, "I don't know about any other Lucy, in any other timeline. I don't know about the one who gave you that book. But this Lucy you can believe in. She has done nothing but fight for your right to find your wife and child since you've been here. If you ever see them again, you should thank her."

Finally, a light entered Flynn's eyes. He gave a deep sigh, and somehow looked much older. As though his anger had been holding him together. He looked from Wyatt to Lucy. "If ever I do, that day I will." She nodded. Then he smiled & the usual Flynn was back.


	5. Chapter 5

Rufus & Jiya continued working on algorithms to assess, categorize and try to crack the encryption. They complained they needed better equipment.

Flynn & Lucy looked over the older materials. She took breaks to help Wyatt with his physical therapy, and batted ideas around with him as they lay in bed at night. He grew steadily stronger.

Agent Christopher promised to provide better processors. She announced tht Mason was coming to join them, and would be there soon with all that had been requested.

Lucy had nightmares sometimes of Wyatt falling off the cliff's edge. Sometimes of her sister slipping out of her hands. Wyatt held her.

Flynn dreamed of Lorena. He told her all that he'd done, and he cried in her arms. Iris came in, "What's wrong, Daddy?" And he woke.

Jiya, Rufus and Flynn got into an argument about the likelihood of the digital files they had being encrypted, red herring nonsense or booby trapped. Agent Christopher broke it up reminding them that they need to follow up all the possible solutions. Lucy lay her head down and about cried with frustration.

One afternoon, the squad of techs was finally able to disassemble and reassemble one of the early digital computing machines in the base. Lucy got permission for Flynn to inspect it with her under guard. Wyatt stood calmly by Lucy, eyes on Flynn.

Lucy said, "Well, Rittenhouse seem to be early adopters. They've had the best of technology at every stage of the game." Flynn cocked an ear at that.

He said, "Yes, that's true. And the codes we're finding in even the earliest days, they are good. Better than one would expect."

Lucy looked aghast. "Do you think they've smuggled back future technology?"

Flynn shook his head. "Look at these museum pieces, no."

Lucy nodded. "But knowledge does seem to be their stock-in-trade. They even had Rufus reporting in to them about our activities during Watergate. What if the problem with the newest of the records, is the same as the problem with the oldest records. Their encryptions are beyond us."

Flynn looked at her, then at the machine. "But what about the middle, where they had the latest and greatest technologies, for the time."

Wyatt looked at the mass of switches, plugs and cords that made up this one of the earliest computers before them. He said, "So, that thing?"

Lucy nodded. "This may be our key."

Flynn nodded. "Yes, not Rittenhouse's key. For all we know they may have agents in our future who have aided them in the past. But this may be their weak spot."

Lucy said, "So if we can't untie the knot, we'll cut it."

Agent Christopher had been listening and walked over to join them as Wyatt said, "Okay, so how?"

Lucy said, "We can find an expert on this device."

Agent Christopher said, "I know just the man." They all looked to her. "The father of computer science, in fact."

"Alan Turing?" Lucy exclaimed, "But he's been long, tragically dead. Along with most of his generation now."

Wyatt saw where Agent Christopher was going with this. He nodded and said, "We jump."

Agent Christopher said, "We thought you might need to go somewhere along the timeline, to find a code or interrogate members of Rittenhouse. Who knows, Turning may be one? We'll make preparations and get you ready to go. Connor is due in soon, we'll have him bring what we need for the trip."

* * *

That night, Lucy and Wyatt lay side by side, unsleeping.

Lucy said, "I never thought we'd have to go back." Wyatt touched her hair, trying to sooth her.

"It will be all right, Lucy. Flynn is behind bars. Rittenhouse in our era is, too. They won't expect us."

"So we hope. I'm certain Denise is wrong about Turing being Rittenhouse."

Wyatt nodded. "You're thinking of Ethan."

"Yes, Rittenhouse is unforgiving. Look what they made my mother do. If he is involved, he may need our help."

Lucy paused and then went on, "But Wyatt, what about Amy? What if I lose her again?"

He held put his arms around her. "We just won't let that happen, Luce."

Lucy looked at him askance. "You can't know that."

Wyatt looked her in the eye, "I've got a feeling about this."

Lucy smiled, "The Force?"

Wyatt laughed and shook his head. "Just trust me. We can't do anything about it tonight, anyway. Sleep." She nodded and tried.

He lay holding her after she did fall asleep. His wounds healed, no need to shift beds anymore. He thought about his family, Jess, Lucy. So much had changed, so much was gone. He thought of Flynn, alone, and felt his luck. "I promise you," he said to the sleeping Lucy.

* * *

The morning came. The team readied themselves. Mason was expected soon, and he'd bring their period clothes. Lucy rose slowly. Still troubled by thoughts of Amy.

Agent Christopher gave them their briefing, with Lucy piping in every so often. Her heart wasn't in it though. She'd been trying all morning to reach Amy but hadn't been able to call her. She couldn't believe she could not even say goodbye...

Wyatt seemed uncharacteristically distracted. Rufus & Jiya sat close together, touching. Agent Christopher saw that her team was out of sorts. She couldn't do anything about it yet. She muscled thru the briefing.

The sound of engines made Agent Christopher sigh with relief. They needed what was coming.

Wyatt perked up as well. "I'll go."

Lucy said, "Let me help."

Wyatt said dismissively, "I'm fine, no worries. We'll be right back." Lucy, listless, stayed.

They returned, period clothes in hands, Wyatt last to enter, letting the door open "We got everything we need. Wait, there's one more thing..."

Seeing her sister Amy dressed in period clothes walking through the door was the last thing Lucy expected. The sisters jumped in each other's arms.

"Amy!" Eyes shining, Lucy looked to Wyatt, then Agent Christopher, not sure what to think, or who to thank.

Agent Christopher catching Mason up, paused to tell Lucy, "Your Master Sergeant was extremely persistent. He fought for her to join us."

Wyatt said, "I couldn't let you face losing her again. Not after everything you'd been through." Lucy, still holding Amy, flung an arm around him as well.

Wyatt's own arm went around Lucy as she looked up at him with so much love that his breath got caught in his throat. "Thank you..." He realized there would be no better time...and time of course being the pivotal factor in all their lives now, there was none to waste...

Wyatt hugged Lucy closer and brought his face near to hers. Jiya perfectly positioned to see his expression, melted & clutched Rufus' arm.

Wyatt kissed Lucy tenderly, then whispered in her ear, "Don't go anywhere." Lucy, baffled, watched her sister and Wyatt exchange a look.

Wyatt said to Amy, "Do you have it?" Lucy was so thrown off by them talking so casually that it did not initially sink in what he said. Amy grinned as she handed a little velvet box to Wyatt, "Kept it close all the time."

Agent Christopher, Rufus & Jiya exchanged a smile, knowing what was about to happen.

Amy watched as her sister stood in awe, at loss for words while Wyatt's knee protested at the position he was taking.

Lucy looked down at Wyatt on one knee in front of her, their eyes locked."Ma'am..." he started tenderly with that smirk of his, a reminder of their meeting

"I had a whole speech planned for this, I wanted the moment to be perfect because Luce you deserve nothing less...When I laid on that hospital bed with you at my side, bossy know-it-all attitude & worried scowl, I realized we had held ourselves back long enough."

Happy tears rolled down Lucy's cheeks as he continued."I've known for a while the only future that makes sense is if you're a part of it. I love you & I don't want to hide how I feel about you any longer. Lucy Preston, will you marry me?"

Jiya, in the background, was practically squealing.

Lucy was stunned, speechless. She watched as he opened the velvet box and saw a filigree ring, fine silver lines clasping a russet amber stone. She immediately & automatically placed it, early 20th century, art deco, American. Her eyes flew wide with an unspoken guess.

Wyatt affectionately rolled his eyes, smiling in wonder. "No surprising you is there? This was my grandma Sherwin's ring and I thought so, but now I  **know**  there is no one more suited to wear this than you, if you will." Wyatt ended gently, becoming a touch shy. Lucy's tongue-tied silence and awareness of the ring of loving but expectant eyes made the glow of excitement and hope in his eyes falter.

Lucy's heart was swelling, overwhelmed with the arrival of her sister and the dawning realization that Wyatt meant what he was saying. When she saw his hesitation, her heart broke with love for Wyatt & all the loss he had suffered. She took her hands off her mouth & clasped his.

Touching his hands & the box in them, he felt her hands tremble. She said, "It's beautiful, Wyatt. So much love. I have them to thank for you."

Lucy saw him breath easier and felt relieved. She glanced at Amy.

Amy winked, "Lucy you better jump on this one. He called me to ask permission."

Everyone laughed, Wyatt blushed, and Lucy's eyes sparkled.

She said, "Wyatt the only thing I know is that every future I see has you in it." She see nodded, overjoyed, "So, yes. Wyatt, yes, please. With all my heart."

Wyatt grabbed her & kissed her soundly. Amy gasped, and Jiya started everyone clapping. Even Mason joined in after a moment.

Rufus blinked, wiping away tears from his eyes seeing his dear friends take this step. He kissed J, "Good thing that Mothership has lots of room."

As everyone chatted and threw congratulations their way, Wyatt held calm at the center for them & placed the ring on her finger. Lucy's teary eyes lingered on the ring, a sudden doubt flashed across her face.

Wyatt saw, and said, "This ring has been waiting for  **you**."

Hugs broke out, starting with the newly engaged couple but engulfing everyone soon. When it came his turn, Mason waved Rufus away & said "OK, time to work now?"

All dressed in period clothes a few moments later, Lucy found herself leaning against Wyatt's side as they had a last minute briefing mostly for Amy. She sighed in contentment when Wyatt kissed her temple. Amy grinned excitedly at her "New adventure for the Preston sisters."

The end ❤️

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from emilycare - This was a wild ride that started on a whim & ended up taking on a life of its own. The folks liking & commenting (love your GIFs Missyriver!) made it possible to keep going despite the odd terror of sharing that out in the ether. And for encouraging us to post it, we never would have otherwise. All 4 U! We had a general sense of what was going to happen and used direct messages to brainstorm, but moment to moment it was all on the fly. Super eternal gratitude to my collab partner Alodis for starting it off, being game & inspired/inspiring, and for being patient with how long it ended up being! Kudos to Alyssa for suggesting the proposal. That made the ending for the 2 of us. Hope you all enjoy! xoxoxo


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